


The Warmth of You

by RoguesCorner



Series: Walker of the Lonely Path (Elona Lavellan) [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Guilt, Haven (Dragon Age), Huddling For Warmth, Literal Sleeping Together, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Solavellan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28229940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoguesCorner/pseuds/RoguesCorner
Summary: Scouts had been reporting a rift in the ruins near Haven, it was supposed to be a cut and dry mission of going in and sealing it. Elona hadn't expected the cave in.Pre-relationship Solavellan, takes place a few weeks before In Hushed Whispers.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Solas (Dragon Age), Female Lavellan/Solas
Series: Walker of the Lonely Path (Elona Lavellan) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2078523
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	The Warmth of You

It was supposed to be an easy job.  A simple investigation of the ruins surrounding Haven after a few scouts claimed to hear strange noises emanating from below. It had been easy enough to descend the snowy ruins, only the small patch of ice here and there threatening Elona and her party. Cassandra had opted to join her, claiming a threat so close to their base was enough reason for her to wish to investigate. Solas had offered up his help as well, concerned for a fade rift that had broken under Haven and the presence of spirits. Varric on the other hand had joined her at her request she told him it was his sharpshooting she liked having around, though the truth was more related to how his presence always seemed to calm her (That and Sera heard voices from below and had refused to join). 

It had been fine until Solas’s suspicions proved to be correct and a rift had opened. The first wave had been simple, shades and nothing more before the veil began to twist and crack, bolts of green energy breaking across the icy stone chamber, cracking into the stone walls. 

“Be careful! It is growing volatile and we do not need a cave in.” Cassandra called out, spinning her blade in her hand as more shades sprung from the rift. 

Elona raised her hand to begin to seal it, a shade appearing behind her and lashing out, breaking the concentration. She spun her staff around, lightning crackling from the tip as she slammed it into the demon. Its form dissipated as she moved back to the rift and her eyes widened. 

“We can’t catch a break can we,” Varric yelled as the clawed hand of a pride demon began to rip its self out of the rift. 

“Seal it!” Solas shouted as he sent a blast of fire into the remaining shade. 

Elona raised her hand, fingers shaking from the cold and anxiety that rocked her as she pulled on the threads of magic around the rift. Her brow knit in concentration as she twisted her magic, pulling on the fade as the pride demon pulled back with force. It began to break out 

“Any time Herald,” Cassandra said, a beat of anger breaking in her chest as Elona clenched her fist. 

“I am  _ trying-”  _

It was enough to break the concentration, a burst of energy from the rift knocking her back into the cavern wall the stone bruising the wound she had already sustained. She struggled to stand, reaching for her staff and looking about the cavern for her party. Solas was closest, a wound on his forehead from the blast as he whipped blood from his cheek. Cassandra and Varric had been blown into the tunnel they had come from, the pride demon beginning its walk towards them, each step shaking the stone that hung from the roof of the ruins. 

Heaving, she stood, leaning heavily on her staff and she raised her hand, stretching her mana as far as she could towards the rift, her voice breaking out in a cry as she clenched her hand and the rift snapped shut - another blast echoing off the walls. The pride demon lashed out as the rift burst, its large taloned hands slamming against the wall. 

“Herald!” Cassandra’s voice broke the noise as the stone of the tunnel collapsed, crushing the pride demon to ash. She threw her hands up, casting a barrier around herself as the stone fell, clattering to the ground beside her and pushing her down. When the dust settled, she dropped the barrier, a wave of exhaustion hitting her. 

The rift was closed, but the entrance to the section of ruins they had been fighting in had caved in, leaving no exit. Solas rushed over to her, slowing with a sigh as he saw she was indeed alive. Varric and Cassandra were no were to be seen. 

“Can you stand?” He asked, kneeling next to her. 

She nodded, pulling her staff to her side as a crutch and lifted herself. Her knees almost gave out as she took a step, Solas catching her with one arm before she tumbled. 

“I’m alright.” She said though the look he gave her was filled with doubt. Solas helped her stand up straight, the moment she leaned on her left leg she cried out and fell again. He caught her once more, helping her sit as she began to unwrap the wrapping along her leg. Solas ran his hand over her leg. She hissed as his hand ran over the middle of her lower leg, below her knee and she hissed. 

“The bone is broken, I can heal it momentarily but a healer will have to take a closer look when we return to Haven.” 

“I can try to heal it as well,” Elona said, reaching her hand out to begin to mend the skin the bone, but only the dregs of her magic sputtered from her fingertips. 

“You over-exerted yourself, it will take some time before you can heal the wound,” Solas said, glancing up at her. She was sure she looked exhausted. The cold sunk into her skin as he finished undoing the wrappings around her leg. The skin was purple and swollen, Elona looked away as the magic from his hands began to seep into her flesh, the pain and colour lessening. Carefully, he wrapped it again, grabbing a few wooden planks from the structure that had supported the tunnel to create a make-shift splint. 

They were both quiet as he worked, though it was not an uncomfortable quiet. His face was stiff with concentration as he tied the split, her eyes searching across his face as he worked. She’d never noticed the lightest dusting of freckles across his face, the quick thought of  _ he’s strangely handsome-  _ flashed through her mind and she shook it away. Dried blood caked the left side of his face still, and she frowned. Pulling what little magic she could muster, she reached up to his forehead and place a hand over the wound that had not healed yet, quickly healing it. Solas looked up at the touch, surprised for a second. 

“I said to rest.” 

“Your welcome.” She replied and he sighed, though she could have sworn his lips had curled into the smallest of smiles. 

“I suppose we wait now.” She said and he nodded. “How long do you think it’ll take to clear the rubble?”

I am unsure. I could begin to move some of the smaller rocks though I do not expect to get very far.”

Elona sighed, pulling her staff towards her to stand. Solas watched her with concern as she moved to another area of the cavern pulling a few small pieces of wood together to start a fire. Solas followed her lead, taking them from her as her movement slowed. 

“You need to rest.” He chided her.

“I will once we have a fire started.” 

“Herald-” 

She cringed at the title. “Please Solas, just Elona. I don't know if I will ever grow accustomed to the title.”

He paused, studying her for a moment and she felt herself grow uneasy under his gaze. Finally, he nodded and a small smile broke. “I apologize, Elona.” 

They worked together to pull together a fire, the small warmth they could find from it the only comfort in the dark space. Leaning against the wall, Elona tested her leg, wincing whenever she turned it. Solas had begun to walk around the room, looking for another passageway that may have been hidden, but after half an hour admitted defeat and took a seat next to her. 

“We may be waiting until daybreak.” He said, tossing the remaining wood on the flames. 

“Which could be an hour or ten from now given the lack of light,” Elona commented. She glanced up from looking at the fire to Solas. His face was partly illuminated from flames, casting shadows across his visage, sharpening his features. She had never seen another elf like him. He was taller than most of the men from her clan, his shoulders broader held himself differently, in a way she couldn’t explain. She had tried to guess his age with Varric one evening, he was older than her (her 29th birthday coming in a few months) and much younger than her father and uncle. They had guessed forty but she wasn’t sure. 

“I’m sorry I got us into this situation.” She said finally, and his attention snapped to her. 

“You do not need to apologize Hera- Elona. These things happen, there was no way to know that the tunnel would collapse.” 

“If I had done it sooner the pride demon would not have escaped.” 

“Mastering the art of manipulating the fade is difficult, I have seen many within dreams who have attempted over decades to reach the skill you have found within the past months.” 

“I suppose that is comforting to hear.” She said, a weak laugh escaping her mouth. 

“Have faith in yourself Lavellan, you are doing far better than most would in your position” 

She met his gaze and smiled at the sincerity in his voice. “Thank you, Solas.” 

Another hour passed before the remains of the fire extinguisher, and the cold began to sink into the stone and her skin once more. They had both agreed to attempt to get some rest, in hopes the time would pass faster and Elona could regain some of her mana.  It was something easier said than done, her teeth chattered as she pulled her fur cloak closer around her. Solas next to her and pulled his hood up, though his nose and cheeks had turned pink already. When colder months passed within her clan, families would often sleep under the same blankets of furs to preserve heat and keep each other warm. It was normal for them, though now the idea of doing so with Solas set her cheeks to warm, she wasn’t sure why. As the cold began to push in more, she sighed, breath forming a cloud. 

“This is ridiculous.” She said, unfastening her cloak. Solas gave her a curious look as she scooted closer, careful of her leg.

“Elona?” 

“Remove your cloak and place it under us. I’m not dying of the cold in some bloody cave.” 

He blinked, giving her an uncertain look before doing as she said, settling his cloak below them both on the cavern floor before settling. Elona tossed her cloak out, tucking it as best she could under their feet 

“I hope you don’t mind, we use to do this when the winter hit in the southern part of the Marches though it was never as bad as this.” She said, now increasingly aware of how close they were. 

“I do not mind, as you said dying of the cold would be unfortunate.” He replied, she could feel the chuckle he made reverberate against her chest. Solas flared his magic, using it to warm his body as he put an arm around her. She was thankful now for the darkness of the cave that he could not see the flush across her skin. Even if he could she knew she could blame the cold. 

Elona sighed, the warmth from him finally seeping into her clothes and self and she relaxed into his arm. The exhaustion slowly began to take hold of her now that she was warm, and her eyelids began to droop. 

“I never thanked you.” She muttered quietly as sleep began to overtake her. 

“For what?” He responded. 

“Saving my life. Cassandra told me you stayed awake for two days to keep the mark from killing me.” 

“You….are welcome.” He finally responded after moments of quiet, Elona just hearing it before she passed into sleep, the exhaustion from sealing the rift and her leg taking her. 

____

Solas could hear and feel her breathing slow down, thankful the Herald had finally fallen asleep. He looked down at her from where she lay in the crook of his arm, her eyes fluttered closed and lips parted slightly as she slept. He had seen her sleep before, though unlike when she had received the mark, now that sleep was peaceful, screams not breaking from her lips every hour as the magic in her hand pulsed through her. 

The mark had been a mistake, a mistake he had tried to pry from her as soon as he could to fix what Corypheus had done. Yet  _ nothing  _ had worked, and now she thanked him for saving her life. 

_ I did what I could to keep the mark. _ He thought, reminding himself as a warmth unrelated to his magic spread through his chest. 

She was kind, thoughtful, and open-minded, unlike any dalish he had met previously. When he had seen the vallaslin that curled across her freckled face he had cursed. Out of everyone to receive it, a dalish mage? Now, when he saw that same face he could not help but smile despite himself. He hoped she would seek him out, engage him in questions and remarks, shoot him a smile or quick flirtation which he had reminded himself not to encourage and yet - 

_ Pull it together.  _ He chided himself. 

He had only known her for half a year. In that time she had sealed rifts, begun to prepare for talks with the mages within Redcliff, gathered those with like-minded thoughts and those without all under one banner. He admired it- her- something he had not expected to feel towards anyone of this time. She was magnetic, there was a draw to her he could not deny. 

She turned, still asleep and nestling closer, resting her head on his shoulder and pulling one leg up so her knee rested on his thigh and her hand tightened on the fabric of his jacket. His heart leapt - she was still asleep, it was all involuntary - thought for a moment he let himself enjoy the feeling of her moving closer. When was the last time a beautiful woman had held herself next to him like such? It was selfish, he knew, but he had always been a selfish man. Indulging himself Solas closed his eyes, letting sleep slip over him as well to see what awaited him within the Fade here. 

___

It was only a few hours before Elona awoke to the warmth of Solas next to her and a pain in her leg that had returned. It all came back, and she was suddenly aware of Solas’s chin atop her head as he began to wake from sleep. She slowly untangled her arms from his, careful not to wake him, thought the moment she moved his eyes began to open. 

“Hope you slept well,” She said, trying to lighten the tension she prayed had not settled from their position.

“The best in a while.” He said.

“Glad to hear, if you ever need someone to keep you warm again you know where to find me.” The words left her before she considered their implications. 

“I will be sure to remember that.” He replied quickly, though there was no hint of discomfort, his voice low. 

Her mouth went dry. She was still close, half laying down half sitting up, her arm propping her up. 

“You slept well I assume?” He asked. 

“Marvelously.” 

“I am pleased to hear that.” 

There was an urge within her to move closer, to absorb the warmth from him once more, to press her lips to his just to see what would happen. If in the cold of the cave he would respond in kind and let her in, use the excuse of it was a tactic to stay warm the next day if they regretted it - she wanted to know what he would do if he wanted it as much as she did. 

He opened his mouth to say something before the sound of loud banging could be heard beyond the cave-in, and their attention was drawn to the rubble. It didn’t take long for a few dozen Inquisition scouts calling towards them. It took a few scouts to help her up, her leg swollen now more than before, the few mages they had placing wards around the two to warm them, yet even with the magic, she only felt cold along the side of her body were Solas had been pressed to her moments ago. 

**Author's Note:**

> It finally snowed where I live and I had a need for some winter content/Haven content. Don't have a beta for my work so if there are any critical errors I've missed please let me know!


End file.
